


Test Run

by JewishDavidJacobs



Series: On a Subway Platform [2]
Category: Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Babysitting, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-29
Updated: 2020-07-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:34:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25595089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JewishDavidJacobs/pseuds/JewishDavidJacobs
Summary: Babysitting Chava for the first time was a big deal. Jack had babysat other kids plenty of times, but never had it been so important that it went well. If Chava wasn’t happy, David wouldn’t be happy. Jack needed to possess at least some parenting skills to be able to prove that he was capable of helping David with the most important part of his life. This was a test run.
Relationships: David Jacobs/Jack Kelly
Series: On a Subway Platform [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1841677
Comments: 17
Kudos: 56





	Test Run

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, we’re gonna be fine. Don’t worry about us, Dave!”

“Okay,” David sighed. “I’m sorry, you know I trust you, it’s just that this is the first time I’ve ever let somebody babysit her who isn’t one of my parents or my siblings. And I’m sorry about the circumstances.”

Jack helped him into his jacket.

“No problem. Got everything?”

“Yeah. I love you.” He kissed him quickly.

“Love you too. Go kick ass!”

“Okay. Call if you need me!”

Jack laughed. “Go! Stop worrying!” 

He did want David to stop worrying — he had to focus on his college interview — but that didn’t mean  _ he _ was going to stop worrying. Babysitting Chava for the first time was a big deal. He’d babysat other kids plenty of times but never had it been so important that it went well. If Chava wasn’t happy, David wouldn’t be happy. Jack needed to possess at least some parenting skills to be able to prove that he was capable of helping David with the most important part of his life. This was a test run.

David had apologized that she’d fallen asleep in his bed and was thus taking an impromptu nap, but Jack was ecstatic. It gave him time to settle in. He occupied himself watching television and looking at the paintings Mayer and Esther had hung around the house. About half an hour after David had left, the stairs creaked and Chava’s face appeared.

“Jack? Where’s Daddy?” the five-year-old asked.

“He went out, but he’ll be back soon, remember? We told you yesterday that you and I would get some playtime today.”

Her eyes filled up and her lip wobbled. “Why can’t we have playtime with Daddy too?”

Shit. He wasn’t prepared for tears.

“Hey, it’s okay. We’re going to have fun and Daddy will be back before you know it?”

She ran to him, full on crying. He scooped her up and she wept into his chest.

“I want Daddy!”

“I know. Why don’t we play while we wait for him?”

“I want Daddy!” she repeated.

Jack understood why David had been sorry to leave him while she was napping. Apparently, Chava was very emotional when she woke up.

“I know, but he’s not here right now. Let’s play a game!”

“Daddy,” she cried. “I want Daddy.”

_ Me too, girly,  _ he thought.  _ Me too. _

It took Jack what felt like hours to calm her down. Then it was snacktime. Joy.

“Okay, we’ve got goldfish or pretzels. Which would you like?”

David had been kind enough to leave detailed notes telling him where everything was. It was the perfect mix of sweet, panicky, and nerdy that made David David.

“Goldfish, please.”

“Coming right up.”

“Thank you, Jack.”

He chuckled. “You’ve got the best manners of any five-year-old I’ve ever met, Chava Jacobs.”

“Thank you. I’m glad you’re Daddy’s boyfriend.”

His heart swelled. “Thank you, sweetheart. I am too.”

“Uncle Les says you make Daddy happy.”

“I hope so, ’cause Daddy makes me happy. But guess what? You make Daddy the happiest.”

Chava ate her goldfish calmly, even offering some to Jack, who politely declined (he’d stolen a bunch earlier). She looked a lot like David. David thought she looked like her mother, and maybe she did a little (he had no way of knowing), but everything about her reminded him of his boyfriend.

Not only did they look alike, but they had many of the same habits. She also rubbed her hands up and down her thighs when she was nervous, used Polish when she was angry (although David used German with Sarah), and rested her head on her hand when she was feeling sorry for herself. She forgot Jack couldn’t speak anything but English when she was tired, latched onto whoever she was with if she fell asleep and wouldn’t let go, and frowned when she was concentrating hard on something. When she methodically swept the crumbs off the table, into her hand, and put them on the napkin after she’d finished eating, Jack couldn’t help but pick her up and squeeze her tight.

“What are you doing, Jack?” Chava giggled.

“I’m giving you a hug because I love you.”

“I love you too. Want to play knights with me?”

“Jack, can you draw with me?” Chava asked. “I want to draw Daddy pictures.”

“Ooo, that’s a good idea. I like it.” He consulted David’s note to find the art supplies and set them up at the kitchen table. “Okay, kid. What are we drawing?”

“I’m drawing you and me and Daddy at the park. What are you drawing?”

“I’ll draw us on the swings.”

She smiled. “You’re a good drawer, Jack. Are you an artist?”

“I’m trying to be. Are you going to be an artist?”

She shook her head. “I’m going to be a vet. Art’s just a hobby.”

Jack fought hard not to laugh at how mature she sounded and just barely succeeded.

“You’ll be a good vet.”

“I want a cat,” she said, then pouted. “Daddy says not until we live without Savta and Zayde.”

“A cat, eh? What type of cat?”

She shrugged. “Whatever cat at the pound needs our help the most. And is cute.”

“Chava Jacobs, you just might be one of the cutest people on Earth.”

“I know.”

**David**

**7:02 PM**

_ I’m really sorry that I’m running so late. It was last minute and I need to pick up any shifts I can. I’m done now and I swear I’ll be home soon.  _

It’s fine. I’ll get her into pjs

_ You’re my hero. I owe you. _

Give me a kiss when you get home and we’ll call it even

“Okay, Chava, pajama time.”

“No!” she cried. “Not without Daddy!”

“You don’t have to go to bed yet, but we have to get ready. Daddy will be home real soon.”

“No, Jack! You’re not Daddy and Daddy gets me my pajamas!”

“Chava, please. We’ll get ready and then I’ll read to you until Daddy gets home, okay?”

Her bottom lip wobbled and Jack knew he was in for it. She started whimpering and then the tears flowed. He picked her up and tried to comfort her.

“Shh, okay, it’s okay. Shh. Daddy will be home soon. Don’t you want to be all ready for him? If you get in pajamas now you’ll have more time with him later!”

She kept crying.

“Chava, please, sweetheart.” David would be home in twenty minutes and Jack needed to prove that he could do this by himself. “If you get your pajamas on, I’ll bring you candy tomorrow.”

“No! I want Daddy!”

“Don’t you want to be ready for him? He’ll be so proud of you for being a big girl.”

She kept weeping and weeping. Jack was beginning to panic. He didn’t know what to do. He tried everything he could think of for the next twenty minutes and then the door opened.

David didn’t even say hi when he walked in, just took his daughter from Jack and cradled her against himself.

“Chava, flower…” He looked at Jack. “What happened?”

“I’m sorry, Davey, she just wouldn’t get into her pajamas without you. I tried, I swear.” 

“Don’t worry about it, honey.” He kissed his cheek. “She’s five and five-year-olds are impossible,” he added in a whisper.

“Okay, aniołku, time for bed.”

Jack followed them to Chava’s room as David shushed and soothed his daughter. He tried not to feel guilty for having messed up. He’d wanted David to be able to just come home and relax.

“Flower, it’s okay. I’m here now, Daddy’s here.” He changed her and she calmed down.

Her face was covered in tear tracks, she was double-breathing, and she looked exhausted.

“There she is,” David said. “How are you feeling, flower?”

She shrugged. “Sorry, Daddy.”

“Don’t be sorry. Did you have a good time with Jack?”

She nodded. “Yeah. He’s fun. Can he babysit me again?”

Jack beamed internally. He’d been so worried that Chava wouldn’t like his company.

“You’ll have to ask Jack that.”

They both looked at him.

“I’d love to. I had lots of fun too.”

Chava smiled and let David tuck her in. She was too tired from her tantrum to stay up for a book, so he left to let his boyfriend have a private moment with his daughter. Jack went upstairs to David’s room to get ready to sleep. By the time David joined him in bed, he looked ready to pass out.

“Thanks again for today, Jacky,” David said after they talked about his interview. “You’re a lifesaver.”

“Thanks for trusting me. I’m sorry I couldn’t get her to sleep.”

“Jack, sometimes it takes me an hour and a half. You’re not alone. Thank you so, so much.” He kissed his cheek. “I’m grateful.” He yawned. “And tired.”

“Let’s sleep, then. You have to give me my payment first, though.”

“Your payment? Oh.” David rolled his eyes and kissed him. “Happy?”

“Mm, always am with you.” He tucked David under his arm.

“What did you do?”

“We played knights and we colored and we watched tv.”

“Yeah?”

“She said she wants a cat when you guys move out,” he said, apropo of nothing. 

David nodded. “Yeah, she does.”

“You gonna get her one?”

“Depends on how you feel about cats, I guess.”

“Me?” he asked excitedly. “As in us living together?”

“Oh.” David tensed. “I shouldn’t have assumed that–”

“No, baby, I’m happy! I just didn’t realize you were considering it.”

“Well, we already said we’d be together forever. I just figured…”

“Yeah. You figured right.”

“And you’d be fine? I know living with a kid is a tough adjustment.”

“If it’s even a little bit like today then I’ll love it.”

David seemed to perk up. “Really?”

“Yeah, really. It was exhausting as fuck, but I loved it. She’s great, Dave. Besides…I like cats.”

David laughed. “Good. She’ll be happy to hear it.”

“Not as happy as I’ll be when we live together. Lying like this every night? Yes, please. To be honest,” he continued, “I was nervous about today.”

David pushed himself up on his elbow and they locked eyes.

“Why?”

“I felt like I needed to do well or you wouldn’t trust me around Chava anymore. It felt like a test.”

“Oh, baby–” he kissed Jack softly “–I’ve trusted you around her for a long time. I always will.”

“Even with my thing?”

David nodded. “It doesn’t define you.”

“Thanks,” he said, choked up. “I love you.”

“I love you too. Do you want to talk about it?”

“I’m okay.”

“Okay. Sorry, honey, but in that case, I have to sleep.”

“No worries,” he replied genuinely. “See you in the morning.”

“See you in the morning.”

He let the silence last only two minutes. “Hey, Dave?”

“Yes?”

“I love your daughter.”

“I love her too. And I love you. It’s very sweet and all, but can I sleep?”

He chuckled. “Sleep.”


End file.
